In a typical domestic dwelling, household items are stored or kept in areas which vary in elevation from the ground level. Though some items are kept in low-level and high reach areas, the majority of items are usually kept at an intermediate level to facilitate easy access thereto. Examples of items typically placed in intermediate level areas of the house include glasses and dishes stored within kitchen cupboards, food items disposed upon storage shelves, linens stored within linen closets, and decorative objects placed upon television sets or within curio cabinets.
Though the aforementioned items are readily accessible to most adult occupants of the dwelling, individuals suffering from certain handicaps, especially those confined to wheelchairs, encounter significant difficulty when attempting to reach those items which are stored at intermediate level and high reach areas of the dwelling. As will be recognized, most individuals confined to wheelchairs do not have an arm reach sufficient to grasp objects stored at intermediate level and high level areas while in a seated position. As a result, these individuals are generally procluded from having full access to all areas within the dwelling and are dependent upon others to gain such access.
The present invention addresses the aforementioned difficulties typically encountered by individuals confined to wheelchairs by providing a mobile robotic arm which is specifically designed to grasp objects at low-level, intermediate level and high reach areas of a domestic dwelling. Though many types of robots are currently known, the vast majority of these robots have been developed for specific industrial applications and are not suited for use within a domestic dwelling. Additionally, those robots which can be placed within a home are usually novelty items and not designed to provide access to low-level, intermediate level, and high reach areas.